Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) has enough second places that even a rival’s plea could not stop him from storming to his second stage win in the 2018 Tour de France.

The Slovakian three-time world champion blasted ahead of his final rival, Italian Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Merida) in the last metres to win the uphill stage five kick at Quimper. It marked his second stage win and gave him more points to his green jersey lead.

“Greg Van Avermaet launched the sprint too soon, and in fact, it was a help for me and [Sonny] Colbrelli. Thanks Greg!

“I spoke with Colbrelli during the stage, I told him not to surprise me. He said, ‘come on Peter, at least give me one, but I told him that I already have so many second places at the Tour that I don’t want another.”

Sagan won five consecutive green points jerseys in the Tour de France through 2016, but famously in 2015 he racked up five second places and two third places without a victory.

Last year, the jury disqualified him for bumping with Mark Cavendish in the sprint of stage four. He went home with one sprint win.

He is back and in charge in 2018, having already won stage two and taken the yellow jersey for a day and on Wednesday, won stage five – a technical and Classics style stage.